Vale's Great Run Ends Away

Four wins in a row and facing a team that the Vale hammered back in November, the team were, by all statistical predictions, firmly in the driving seat for this NW2 fixture in rural Shropshire.

Opponents Whitchurch RUFC had a point to prove, as well as the fight to avoid the drop-zone. For added drama. a blast of hail stones before the game put everyone on notice of greater influences. The Vale were without experienced operators; Hall, Ramwell, Wallbank, Wallbank and Bolton, and the pattern of play recently adopted to such good effect, shifted accordingly. It was a day for dogged forward play, not one for the stylish sprinters.

Whitchurch began with evident purpose and were 17 - 0 up by the first quarter. The Vale gathered their resources and deployed their forwards to press into the Whitchurch half for a sustained period. Defensive desperation resulted in errors which brought about first one, then another, yellow card. The Vale capitalised to cross the line with a twenty five yard burst of speed from stand-off Richard Chadwick, who converted the try to begin the fightback.

New faces in the Vale first team showed Vale's eye on the future. The three debutantes were: centre Max Higginson, built like a forward but with a sharp turn of speed; winger Kieran Pickup, a whippet crossed with a terrier; and Cumbrian Robbie Skelton, a barrel-chested prop with a twenty inch collar. All made their presence felt on the pitch in their respective roles. It was timely, because of injuries sustained by Harry Fellows and Dan Leighton, putting them out of this game, but both hopeful of a return to fitness for the next.

In a captivating foot chase, winger Jordan Fern was narrowly beaten to the ball beyond the touchline. Whitchurch were absorbing phase after phase of Vale forward dominance, but little of that was evident on the scoreboard, until a try came from second row Joe Harrison. Half time came with the score at 17 points to 12 to the men from Shropshire.

When play recommenced, the Vale's numerical advantage remained, as did their determination. However, no points were gained by either side for the third quarter of the match. The impetus stalled in response to a series of yellow cards, mostly for high tackles. Two of the offenders were Vale players. As in the first half, but this time in the favour of Whitchurch, the numerical advantage paid dividends. Whitchurch crossed the touchline for the fourth time to triumph in a scrappy and hard-fought contest.

No league points for Vale leaves them in a safe sixth place in NW2, but the five earned by Whitchurch will give their campaign a boost. There is no first team Vale game next week. The next will take place on Saturday 16th of March, at home against Altrincham Kersal.

Team: A. Fowler, A. Powers, J. Stevens, L. H. Fellows, J. Harrison, C. Hall, J. Sutcliffe, J. Ayrton (c), J. Batty, R. Chadwick, J. Fern, E. Abdelghafar, M. Higginson, J. Mitton, D. Leighton. Reps: G. Oyston, K. Pickup, R. Skelton.